Potty Training a Stubborn Child

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My son Preston is so stubborn about potty training. He'll go now and again, when he wants. Now he simply refuses to go at all. I tried to get him to wear underwear with his favorite cartoon characters and he agreed. Then after I bought them and got him home, he cried and begged for his diaper. I've tired everything over the past year... rewards, treats, no diaper, wait and see... I'm losing this one and I wouldn't be so worried but preschool is coming up and they want the kids potty trained. His doctor told us to wait a little bit and I have. What do I do now? Does anyone have any tips?

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Stacey - posted on 07/16/2009

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I am there too. My 3 1/2 year old refused to use the potty unless I physically place him on the potty. I feel like I have tried everything from naked to setting a timer to presents and candy. He just will not go but seems to understand the concept when we talk about it. My concern is that he starts preschool in 8 weeks.

hi i no the feeling hunni...stick with it my little boy was the very same. shane would stand beside the toilet and wee. or fill his underpants. we were in the car one day going to see family and he said he needed to go we were in shock!! he did it on the side of the road...we never looked back!!! he was brillant after that...for the wee then for his poo he was mad to start playskool and we said he cudnt go untill he stopped messing himself within two weeks he was fully toilet trained during the day...still waiting for the nite time to work though!!!

When my son was 18 months we started the potty training. I have a daughter 4 years older and she was trainned at 18 months they say boys are slower. He watched daddy and everyone who went to the bathroom he didn't use the trainning potty he preferred the regular toilet so i bought a seat so he would not fall in.

We did not buy pamper only pulled ups ans underpants. I allow him to go to bed and eveything he didn't like being wet or boo boo on him. (He would hold it and i would make him sit on the tolliet for about thiry minute at a time until he did something.

When he was two he was fully trained and the rate of daycare when down because he was trained.

Try potty training in sessions. Get him a potty that he's happy with. Get him underpants that he's excited about. Set up a reward system (star chart with jelly beans worked for us). Explain to him before hand that you are going to wear underpants for the afternoon (or if it's easier, let him go semi-naked). Put the potty somewhere accessible and explain that if he needs the potty it is there. If he goes, that's great, if he doesn't, that's fine too. If he wees on the floor, that's okay. Try to stay positive and don't put any pressure on him. Once he can see that it's easy to wee on the potty you can try to lengthen the sessions. Good luck with this. I know how hard it is. I tried everything with my son, and after his third birthday I tried this method and it worked. He still has issues with pooing but he's getting better. He still prefers the potty but at least he's out of nappies. Potty training is a process and it takes time and patience.

We did skip the little potty. And great news, he's been going on the potty for a week now. He's potty trained with an occassional accident. It was much easier when we just stopped forcing it. Now he's so excited to wear his Buzz Lightyear underwear. And he loves showing it to people which I hope stops soon. :-)

Thanks Lana. I'll try to be more patient with him. He did wear underwear the past couple days for a few hours but then he would have an accident and get upset and want a diaper put back on. We do have a potty book that he loves and he has been interested in going standing up. The funniest thing is that he's very upset that the underwear has a hole in it. He wants me to close all the holes before he'll wear them again. Kids...

I felt like I was at my wits end with my son when I tried potty training. His second birthday had come and gone and now he was nearly 3, what was I going to do!?!

We tried a rewards chart, we tried letting him go naked, we tried having him sit and "try" every 20-30 minutes. I would regularly check the list of potty training readiness signals I got from our doctor. ( http://www.babycenter.com/0_potty-traini...) And as the months passed he was showing almost all the signals of readiness.

But what it all boiled down to was that Josh just wasnt ready; he didnt have the desire to do it until it became cool. Between November and December of 2008 he realluy started to pay attention when his dad or 5 yr old cousin would use the toilet. Then he wanted to do it to. Of course,he wants to stand to pee but whatever as long as he gets it in!

Watch your son for physical, behavioral, and cognitive signs of readiness. Let him watch trusted males that he shares a close relationship with (like his dad or an older male sibling). Read books about going potty and really just try to make it soudn like a fun part of growing up.